Performance Information

“Kronos has led and continues to lead what surely must be the longest unending revolution by any ensemble ever in music history.” –Los Angeles Times

Members of the Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet coach student quartets from the Peabody Institute (Bergamot Quartet) at Johns Hopkins University and Shenandoah Conservatory (Amalthea Quartet). The quartets will prepare new works from Kronos’ Fifty for the Future multi-year commissioning initiative, includingYessoriby Soo Yeon Lyuh andDanceby Franghiz Ali-Zadeh.

This event highlights year four of Kronos Quartet’s five-year residency with Washington Performing Arts. The residency involves participation in theEmbassy Adoption Program, a partnership with D.C. Public Schools and part of the World in Our City initiative, which provides perspective on what it means to be a citizen of the world through a unique arts-based lens.

About the Mars Urban Arts InitiativeThe Mars Urban Arts Initiative (MUAI) is a creative platform for Washington Performing Arts and the D.C. community to celebrate and empower local artists through performances, unique educational programs, and interdisciplinary grassroots collaborations that showcase the diversity and vitality of our city. D.C. has always been an incubator for powerful artistic voices with worldwide resonance, from Duke Ellington and Todd Duncan to Shirley Horn and Chuck Brown. Reflective of our founder Patrick Hayes’ motto, “Everybody in, nobody out,” the Mars Urban Arts Initiative amplifies the role of local artists throughout Washington Performing Arts’ productions, educational opportunities, and special events. MUAI also curates educational workshops, master classes, and student performances that connect local students with distinguished performers, in conjunction with our signature education programs, such as the Capital Arts Partnership, Embassy Adoption Program, and Gospel Choirs. The Mars Urban Arts Initiative is anchored by residencies for leading artists and ensembles, curated performances across all eight wards, and artistic happenings that reflect what it means to call D.C. home.

This appearance is made possible in part through the generous support of Philip R. West and Barbara Yellen. Washington Performing Arts’ Mars Urban Arts Initiative is generously supported by Jacqueline Badger Mars and Mars, Incorporated.